Pages

Monday, July 7, 2008

Constance Smith Barker Confirmed as EEOC Commissioner

Alabama attorney Constance Smith Barker was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as a member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on June 27, 2008. Barker will serve for the remainder of the term of commission chair Naomi Earp, whose term ends in July 2011. The following is the law firm resume of Commissioner Barker:

Capell & Howard, P.C.Constance Smith Barker

Connie has practiced employment law at Capell & Howard, P.C. since 1996, when she joined the firm as a shareholder. She represents a broad cross-section of commercial, manufacturing, retail and professional firms. Her clients include manufacturing plants, retail businesses, medical groups, physicians, real estate development and investment firms, and an architectural and engineering firm. Her efforts are equally focused on the prevention of discrimination claims and the defense of lawsuits. She works closely with corporate clients to guide their decision-making process through the mine fields of potential discrimination liability. Connie has been a guest speaker at Continuing Legal Education seminars for lawyers and regularly provides seminars to clients on avoiding discrimination lawsuits. New industry in the Montgomery area has called upon her to provide in-house services on laws affecting business in Alabama. She has also been appointed by the State of Alabama Attorney General to defend state departments and agencies in discrimination lawsuits and is one of a group of attorneys who were selected to defend state agencies in a class action discrimination case.Connie's trial experience began with four years as a criminal prosecutor, serving as Assistant District Attorney for the 11th Circuit and later for the 13th Judicial Circuit of Alabama. In her role as Assistant D.A., she tried approximately fifty jury trials and countless bench trials. In 1985, Connie was selected to serve in the newly-created position of General Counsel for Mobile County Public Schools, the 13th largest school system in the nation. She served as General Counsel for eleven years, providing legal advice and counsel to the Board and top management on matters involving discrimination, tenure law, contracts and areas of general corporate law.Connie received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1973. Her studies at Notre Dame included a year of study in Angers, France at the Université Catholique de l'Ouest. She was awarded a juris doctor from the University of Alabama Law School in 1977 and was admitted to the Alabama State Bar that same year. http://www.capellhoward.com/attorneys.asp?action=indiv&id=257311

Register for AAAED Professional Development and Training Institute

AAAED Career Center

Now you can shop for Affirmative Action-related books and support AAAED at the same time. As a partner with Amazon.com, AAAED has selected books that provide useful information about affirmative action, diversity and other equal opportunity issues.